Raphael lingered at the open door of the apothecary. He looked inside but couldn't bring himself to cross the threshold. Even though he had designed the space, it would always be Isabelle's. She made it her own the moment she had arrived in the Vale. She put the cluttered mess that had reigned for millennia to order. What would he do without her?
Catherine's soft footsteps echoed behind him. When he turned to her, his heart broke. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying. Her usually tidy hair hung in tangles. She wore a big purple shawl, tightly wrapped around her shoulders, not against the cold, but for comfort.

"Cate, I'm so sorry."

Catherine fell into Raphael's arms, her sobs muffled as she buried her face against his chest. He gently stroked her hazel hair.

"How could this have happened?" she wept. "How could this have been God's plan? We've already lost so many... now Isabelle and... and..."

Raphael shushed her quietly. He couldn't bear to hear the anguish in her voice.

"It's going to be all right," he said.

"No, it won't." Catherine shook her head against him. "Nothing will ever be all right again."

"It will." Raphael lifted her chin. "Have faith."

Catherine's teary eyes peered intently into his. They stood so close, mere inches separated them. Raphael suddenly became aware that he was holding Catherine in a manner he had always dreamt of holding her. He had to stop himself from leaning in. It wouldn't have been right to kiss her at such a vulnerable moment.

"Come with me," he said. "There's something I would like you to see."

He took her hand and led her down the corridor to the patient rooms, which were fuller than ever. They kept walking until they reached the end of the corridor, halting at an open door. Raphael pushed it wider.
Anastasia and Alexei Romanov sat inside, talking and gesturing wildly in their excitement. Like the rest of his family, Alexei had been kept as leverage to use against Grigori Rasputin in case he ever gave the Devil any trouble. But because he knew Rasputin cared more for the boy, Lucifer held him in a secure location, completely alone and with no means of escape. Until the boy met a certain Fallen Angel.
Raphael did not believe in coincidence. He never had, and he never would. Joan befriending this boy of all the slaves in that place, him escaping soon after his sister had fled her own prison and finding her here; that did not happen by chance. It was fate.

"Not everything that has happened has been bad, Cate. If they can find each other again after being apart for so long, who knows what else might happen?"

Catherine wrapped her hand around his arm as she leaned her head on his shoulder. He glanced down and brushed the tip of his fingers over her knuckles. It was all he dared to do.

"Do you think they will find Gabriël's baby, Raphael?"

"I am certain of it. Never underestimate the Devil."

***

Lucifer wished Margaret had stayed outside. But once she made up her mind about something, there was no swaying her. So, naturally, she dismissed his concerns and followed him into the underground passageways beneath the ruins of Marib.

"Watch your step," Lucifer warned as he took her hand to help her over some rubble. "There may be scorpions or other creatures hiding."

"Don't worry, I can manage," she said. "Lucifer, I still don't know about this. Samael and Lilith could have taken the baby anywhere. Why are you so certain they would come here?"

"Samael might not, but Lilith would. She's sentimental about certain things and stayed in this place longer than anywhere else."

"Why? Of all places, why this one?"

"Because she was a Queen here. Lilith ran away once to the Red Sea while still Adam's wife, and it took us great effort to convince her to come back to Eden. After she was ultimately cast out by God for her disobedience and dereliction, she returned and established her own kingdom. It is known as Marib throughout history, but she named it Sheba."

Margaret gasped. Admittedly, it was hard to believe a demon witch such as Lilith could have been the fabled Queen who brought riches to King Solomon. It had been Lilith's last attempt at securing a human child. Yet God's curse on her proved too powerful.

"When Lilith was forced out of Paradise, God gave her immortality," continued Lucifer. "At first, she couldn't understand why she was given a blessing, but she soon discovered it was far from one. She was trapped in a youthful body, doomed to spend eternity alone. Because though she was desired by men and women alike, none stayed too long. And none could give Lilith what she wanted most of all. Even after learning magic, none of her children survived. The little boy fathered by King Solomon, her last hope, was terribly deformed and died a few days after birth. After that, Lilith spiralled further down, fully embracing the darkness, and she became the Queen of the Circles. Until I fell, that is."

"I see. So... why did Lilith run away from Adam in the first place?"

Lucifer hesitated. "They had... a disagreement. Basically, she, um.... didn't want to lie bottom."

Margaret stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Lucifer as if he had just told her the moon was made of cheese.

"Lilith is often considered the first feminist of the world, Marina," he explained. "She didn't want to be submissive to Adam, but show how strong she was and that she could be with him as his equal. But since God created Adam in His image, the man was a stubborn ass. He loved Lilith, but never admitted it. Had they both learned to compromise, the course of history would have been very different. Couples' therapy wasn't invented yet, so God put them to the test; if they resisted temptation in favour of love, he would reshape them to be equals. Adam passed. Lilith didn't. She was out, and Adam's memories of her were erased, after which he was given a new, more docile wife."

"Why do I feel you had something to do with Lilith's banishment?"

Lucifer didn't fail to notice the accusing tone in Margaret's voice and said, "It was Lilith's choice to give in to me, Marina."

She scoffed. Lucifer turned to see her face twisted in disgust.

"Don't think I didn't feel bad about it because I did. I let the other Archangels talk me into being the vessel of temptation instead of using one of God's other creatures. They knew we wouldn't be able to resist each other. When I discovered Lilith was always meant to fail the test, I retaliated and shaped the snake in the garden. It was the least I could do for Lilith. But I never cared for that succubus, and she damn well knew it. What I did doesn't change the fact that Lilith is the architect of her own demise. She had plenty of chances to do the right thing, and she chose wrong every single time because she wanted what she couldn't have. She's a monster of her own making. One I regrettably allowed to live because of our past."

"Glad to see you feel guilty about something."

His wife's coldness stunned Lucifer. He stared at her, confused by her reaction. Margaret sighed and shook her head.

"You don't get it, do you?" she asked. "You're wondering why she's doing all of this? Why she took Joan and Gabriël's baby? Why she took ours? It's the oldest motive in the book, Lucifer. The same one you've been hiding behind yourself."

"Marina, you can't blame me for what happened."

"I'm not the one blaming you, Lucifer; she is. If you weren't so arrogant, you might understand why."

Margaret brushed past him. Lucifer caught her wrist, and she raised her eyes to him. That's when he saw the look of utter disappointment.

"You wanted Michael to suffer for what he did to you," she said. "You wanted your revenge on him for killing our boy and tearing you away from everything you held dear. Why can't you see Lilith wants the same? She may have made the wrong choices, but she was forced to take them because of you. You robbed her of her life at Adam's side, her rightful place in history... And when she made a new kingdom for herself, you took that as well. She's lost what she had, just like you lost what you had. So stop pretending like you're the only one with any right to vengeance and take some goddamn responsibility for once."

Margaret pulled free and left Lucifer standing there. He did not even try to make her see it his way. There was no point. Because she was right. He stood as much the villain in Lilith's story as Michael stood in his.

***

He still couldn't quite fathom it. His precious golden-haired sister, the only woman who could make his heart flutter and cease beating at the same time, had been returned to him. No one would take her away again. He would make sure of that.
Cesare gazed at Lucrezia as she leaned at the window. She appeared younger, like a maiden just new to womanhood, yet untouched by married life. Her body, clothed in a more comfortable, deep burgundy dress, was even more perfect and beautiful than Cesare remembered. She was a sculpted angel who had descended from the Heavens to deliver him.
But as he looked at Lucrezia, Cesare noticed the sadness in her eyes. He got up from the bed and crept behind her, his arms going around her waist. She rested her head against his chest, and Cesare smelled the faint perfume of poppy essence in her hair.

"What is it, Principessa?" he asked softly.

"I hope Joan is all right and has someone to help her. She was so close to giving birth."

Cesare groaned silently. It was bothersome Lucrezia had befriended the Fallen Angel in the Dream Realm. His sister stood a fierce champion for those she loved and cared for. She would be furious if she discovered the part he had played in Joan of Arc's fall from grace.

"I'm certain she's fine," he said. "The Nephilim will have taken her to the Vale. She'll deliver her baby there, among friends. Don't worry about her."

Lucrezia sighed. Cesare leaned in to kiss her cheek. He tightened his hold on her, pressing her body closer to his.

"I never thought we would find each other again," Lucrezia said. "At least, not here, of all places. You were always so certain you were destined for Heaven. What happened?"

"What always happens," he responded bitterly. "I was betrayed. But Gabriël will get what's coming to him. They all will."

Lucrezia clicked her tongue and turned in his arms. Cesare's gaze wandered down, looking at the medallion once more adorning her bosom. He had kept it safe for her.

"I've always hated that tone in your voice," she said, sulkily picking at the neckline of his shirt. "When you plot vengeance against everyone and everything that works against you. It makes you sound like a monster."

"Maybe I am a monster."

"You never were to me."

The tip of their noses touched. Their lips brushed gingerly against each other. Cesare felt Lucrezia's heart beating with his. This was it. Finally, they could...
A light tap on the door had them putting a more appropriate distance between them, and Cesare scowled as a slave entered, carrying a canter of wine and two crystal goblets. Lucrezia reprimanded her big brother, playfully hitting his arm as she accepted the wine from the slave. 
Cesare wondered when she had ordered wine. He had not left her side. Maybe when that witch came to check on his wound. The hag distracted him with talk of implanting another eye into him, which Cesare refused. He was perfectly content with his new appearance, and Lucrezia didn't seem bothered by it. She always accepted him as he was.
Lucrezia poured the wine. Cesare took the cup from her and put it on his lips. It was then he noticed the odour. No other would have detected it since it was masked by the wine, but he had used the deadly poison so many times that it would have been impossible not to recognise. But if he could smell it, that meant...

"Lucrezia, no!"

Her cup clattered to the floor as she gripped her stomach and spat out blood. Cesare caught Lucrezia in his arms as she sank down. Her body spasmed. Her head lolled back, and her eyes stood wide. She gasped uncontrollably, blood streaming down her chin and throat, staining her golden hair.

"No, no, no, Lucrezia, stay with me, please! Do not abandon me again! Lucrezia? LUCREZIA!"

***

They stayed hidden, watching Lilith's whirling figure cast shadows upon the fire-lit walls of the palace that she once called home. The flames danced dangerously with her. Margaret couldn't help but be fascinated by the woman, even if she was pure evil.
Lilith had crawled back up from every insult and hardship she endured at the whim of men, waiting patiently for the chance to show them how dead-wrong they were to underestimate her abilities. Part of Margaret wanted to see it play out, as she, too, had felt the brunt of men's back-wards thinking. But Lilith's plan had already harmed more than enough people, including her dearest friend. She couldn't be allowed to continue.
Margaret gave her husband a sideways glance. Lucifer hadn't said a word since she had put him in his place. She realised her words may have been harsh, but sometimes the bitter truth was necessary.

"What do we do?" she whispered.

"We do nothing," Lucifer said. "I will take care of Lilith."

"Lucifer, at Pergamum —"

"At Pergamum, I used the powers I obtained from the Circles. Powers she also has, and which she can certainly defeat me with. But there is something else I can use to incapacitate her long enough. I just need to get close to her."

Margaret didn't dare question him. She saw the determination in his eyes and trusted that whatever he was planning would help them retrieve Joan's baby. Peering around the column again, she saw the little girl wiggle in her swaddling. An enormous snake circled her, guarding the baby with its glistening, bone-cracking body and poisonous fangs.

"I need a weapon," said Margaret.

Lucifer's jaw clenched. His eyes remained fixed on Lilith.

"Lucifer, you can't take both of them out," she insisted.

"I am not giving you a weapon, Margaret," he said. "You are not putting yourself in danger for that child."

She frowned at the use of her actual name. He always called her by her nickname, which she remembered he gave her. If he was trying to lay down the law by suddenly being the strict husband, he had another thing coming. 

"That child is my responsibility." She kept her voice as low as possible, but still put enough strength into it to let Lucifer know she wouldn't let this go. "Joan was my best friend, and I promised her I would help her baby. Now either give me a weapon so I can defend myself, or I swear I will march right up to that snake and throttle it with my bare hands."

Lucifer finally caved. He sighed and held out a dagger for Margaret to take.

"For God's sake, be careful," he implored.

"You too. Lucifer, what I said before, I —"

"You were right, Marina. I promise you I'll right my wrongs. I'll save our son, and we will be as we were. Whatever it takes."

He whispered an 'I love you' against her lips just before he kissed her. Margaret felt the force of Lucifer's promise in that kiss and overflowed with strength and confidence. They could do this. They had to. For Joan. And for their son.

***

Lilith ceased her dance. She raised her chin, letting her scarlet hair tumble down her back. The gold dress she wore yet waved about her. She turned around, allowing the fire to reveal a symbol drawn in blood across her chest — a waning crescent moon with a downward cross. The flames made her ruby eyes gleam.

"You can come out now. I know you're here."

Lucifer stepped away from the column he was hiding behind. She smiled darkly upon seeing him.

"Hello, lover." She raised her hand as Lucifer drew closer. "Careful, darling. Kill me, and my pet will not hesitate to feast on the little angel."

"Kill you? Now, why would you think I came to kill you?" Lucifer tilted his head as he walked past the baby. "I have only ever wanted the best for you, Lilith."

She scoffed. The best for her... as long as it worked out for him.

"If I hadn't liberated you from Adam's hold, you would have only been known as his wife. Now look at you; the fabled Queen of Sheba and all-powerful Mother of Beasts. Tell me you don't enjoy what you are. Tell me you miss your ex and what you had in Eden, and I vow I won't stop until you have both again."

Putting his words to action, Lucifer knelt before her. Lilith narrowed her eyes at him. She circled around him. The silence was interrupted only by the hissing of the snake and the baby's soft whimpering cries.

"Why should I believe a word you say? You drove me from every home I made for myself."

"For which I ask forgiveness." Lucifer kept his head down. "Lilith, you must know I did what I did because I feared for you. I didn't want the woman I found so beguiling to lose herself in the Circles. I was... a man, saving a damsel. But you've shown me you are no damsel. Far from it. You are still the same woman who dared stand up to God Himself. All these years you spent hiding, plotting a scheme only a brilliant mind like yours can come up with, tricking everyone... All I can ask of you — no, beg of you — is that I may be allowed to stand with you in what is coming. Because I cannot bear to be parted from your splendour again."

Lilith stared at Lucifer, speechless. Her hand trembled slightly. Lucifer reached for her. His touch, the one she had craved so often when she was still human, made her gasp. He rose to his feet. They stood but a few inches apart now.

"You know I am better for you than my son ever will be," spoke Lucifer softly. "He may be cruel and hot-tempered, but you don't always want that, do you? Sometimes, you want that bit of affection that made you stay with Adam. That tenderness that made you lie in my arms after we had our way with each other. Be honest with me, Lilith; can Samael give you all you need?"

Lilith bit her lip and shivered as the tip of Lucifer's fingers caressed her naked arms up to her shoulders.

"And... what of your wife?" she asked. "You would forsake her? For me?"

"Did you not forsake Adam for me? It's only fair I make the same sacrifice."

"You don't love her, then?"

"I do. But how can she ever compare to you?" Lucifer bent his head down to her. "Lilith... My Queen."

She closed her eyes, waiting for their lips to meet, and then...
Lucifer grabbed the broken amulet around Lilith's neck and yelled, "In Dei nomine, ego voco super Ignem Caeli!"

On his own, Lucifer could only conjure the tiniest spark of Heaven's Fire. But a spark was all it took to push Lilith to her knees, howling in pain as the amulet burned her body. Through eyes brimming with tears, Lilith watched Lucifer spin around and draw his sword to face her snake. The serpent hissed and spat, but before it could lunge at the Prince of Hell, his wife jumped out and impaled its scaly body to the ground with a dagger. In one swift move, Lucifer cut the head off the snake, blood and poison spilling all over the dirt.
Lilith yanked off the amulet she had foolishly kept on. She crawled up, her skin smouldering. Her gaze caught Lucifer's wife crossing a portal with the baby in her arms while the man himself looked at Lilith in triumph.

"You always were easy to fool, Lilith. Still no more than a stupid, gullible... girl."

She jumped at him with a furious cry, but he hastened after his wife and closed the portal behind him before she could sink her claws into him. Lilith fell to the ground in anguish and with one all-consuming desire — to see the Devil's head on a silver platter.